Tastemakers Guide to Ang Mo Kio Hawkers

Located within Chong Boon Market and Food Centre, Seng Kee Bak Kut Teh impressed the Burpple Tastemakers' with its comforting broth. The Bak Kut Teh Claypot ($12) sees fall-off-the-bone spare ribs swimming in a soup stock that is described by Tastemaker Vanessa Kou to be "a light, pepperish broth robust with sweetness derived from pork, balanced with a blend of herbal taste" that is further enhanced by seaweed. Apart from Bak Kut Teh, Tastemaker Peter Wong endorses the unbelievably tender Braised Pig Trotters ($5) while Tastemaker Zhihui Lim highly recommends going for their Teochew-style side dishes like the steamed White Rabbit Fish (three for $10) that is "not as fishy as they usually are, and our table loved the dip". Note that the fish selection is seasonal. Come by with your family for a seriously satisfying meal!
Avg Price: $10 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Zhihui Lim

A stone's throw away from Ang Mo Kio MRT Station, Centre Satay Bee Hoon is a highly frequented spot by residents in the area, and its displayed list of accolades is enough to justify the queues. Thankfully, service is fast and the line moves quickly. There are only two items on the menu — Satay Bee Hoon (from $3.50) that comes with peanut gravy, and Cuttlefish Kang Kong (from $3.50) that comes with a sweet sauce. The former sees soft rice vermicelli, tau pok, prawns, cockles, cuttlefish and kang kong covered in a luscious, made-from-scratch peanut sauce. Tastemaker Irene Arieputri loves how "the thick satay gravy, with lots of peanut bits, evenly coats every strand of the bee hoon", so much so, she claims that "this rendition is definitely one of those that made me a convert!"
Avg Price: $5 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Irene Arieputri

Nestled in a coffeeshop across the carpark from Boon Tong Kee, this low-key stall is a hidden gem for spot-on roast meats. Tastemaker Russell Leong loves the Soya Sauce Chicken (from $10 for half a chicken) for its combination of juicy meat, slippery soft skin and a sauce that he describes to be "absolutely ambrosial, filled to the brim with all kinds of wonderful, savory Asian flavours". Tastemaker Kenneth Lee seconds the notion, adding that the chicken is succulent and that the marinade is well-balanced. Along with meat-loving Burppler Eileen Ong, Tastemaker Peter Wong is a big fan of their Roast Duck ($36/duck)! While some may find that pricey, he assures the ducks here tend to be bigger than most. With its glistening skin and moist, well-seasoned meat, this is one roast duck worth the splurge.
Avg price: $15 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Peter Wong

One of the few Halal stalls in this food centre, Yunos N Family is where the crowds go to for amazing mee rebus and satay. According to Burppler Alex Chua, the stall has a special menu that allows you to order the mee rebus with additional meats like chicken, oxtail and beef tripe. Get the Mee Rebus with Chicken ($4), which he says is set apart from most thanks to a distinctive gravy that he likens to satay sauce. Pair this with the Satay ($0.60/stick), grilled over a charcoal fire for the most delicious smoky char. Besides the usual offerings of chicken, mutton and beef, there's also the tender tripe. Be sure to eat these with the accompanying gravy, which Tastemaker Justin Teo says is thick, not too oily and filled with plenty of nuts.
Avg price: $5 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Justin Teo

Devoted Ma La lovers can add this spot to their list of late-night eats! You Ma You La, a corner stall at this S-11 Food House in Ang Mo Kio operates till 11p, serves piquant and "very very thoroughly fried" Ma La Xiang Guo, according to Tastemaker Wei Zhi Chiang. An avid fan of ma la xiang guo, she says that residents in the area are lucky they don't need to travel all the way to Chinatown for a good bowl! Choose from a wide variety of ingredients, and then select your spice level. If you like a good kick, follow Wei Zhi's lead and go for Medium spice, where the "heat and spice was just nice, not too numbing at all". She also recommends ordering the konjac jelly, an ingredient not commonly seen in ma la stalls. Note that you will be charged by the weight of your ingredients and not the number of items selected.
Pro tip: They are generous with their seasonings, so be sure to request for less salt!
Avg Price: $5 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Wei Zhi Chiang

Run by young hawkerpreneur, Desmond, this stall in 628 Ang Mo Kio Market sees long, snaking queues of up to an hour on weekends. Our Burpple Tastemakers and many others in the queue find it worth the wait, thanks to its robust soup and generous portions of seafood. Various shellfish are available here, from Big Prawn Noodles ($8) to Crayfish Noodles ($13) and the crowd favourite, Lobster Noodles ($24.90). The latter comes with two halves of an Asian Lobster, or Colombian Lobster if the Asian lobster is not in season ($29.90). Tastemaker Justin Teo notes that the fresh lobster meat can be "easily removed from its shell with a light pull using chopsticks". The umami-rich soup owes its distinct taste and colour to the use of prawn shells and pork ribs, not MSG. Tastemaker Felicia Sim also loves how each bowl, regardless of size, comes loaded with clams, which really sweeten the soup. Pro tip: Noodles and ingredients run out quickly, especially on rainy days, so best to head down early to snag a bowl!
Avg Price: $25 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Felicia Sim

Lao San Kway Chap can easily be identified by its unending stream of customers, even at the break of dawn. Innard aficionados will be happy to learn that the intestines at Lao San are consistently well prepared, extremely clean and stench-free! For maximum enjoyment, follow Tastemaker Justin Teo's lead and order a plate of innards with an extra serving of Intestines ($14). In his words, the innards are "velvety with a lovely aroma of herbs and braised in mild sweet savoury stock that is not too salty, so it was mostly the clean pork taste that shines". The Burpple Community also adores the kway (flat noodles) here, deeming it one of the silkiest in Singapore. Pro tip: Lao San Kway Chap only operates from 6am-3pm daily, so come either for breakfast or lunch.
Avg Price: $10 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Justin Teo

Talk about generous. The Chicken Drumstick Mee Soto ($5) here comes served with a whole, gigantic chicken leg that's tender to the bite. However, it is the flavourful broth that won our Burpple Tastemakers over. According to Tastemaker Vanessa Kou, it is "warm, clear and spice-enhanced, and so comforting to slurp on". Bookmark this for rainy days. As Tastemaker Jean Kao says, "this hearty bowl can definitely lift your fowl mood when served on a cold wet day". While you're here, check out their other claim to fame, the Power Mee Reebus ($3.80). Tastemaker Ice Blossom loves how the noodles are not soggy, the generous toppings of fried red onions and green chilli, and the gravy that she declares is "pure shiok-ness".
Avg price: $5 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Vanessa Kou

Located in the same food market as Centre Satay Bee Hoon, Xi Xiang Feng doles out lip-smackingly good bowls of Yong Tau Foo (from $0.50 per ingredient). The secret to Xi Xiang Feng's success is the thick, flavourful soup made with ikan bilis and soybeans, as well as their homemade chili and sweet sauce. "Gritty, but beautifully blended, it is by far one of the more superior sauces I have ever had," says Tastemaker Denise Ong, while the fish paste used is "fresh and bouncy"! There is also the option to substitute Chee Cheong Fun ($0.80) in place of regular noodles. Tastemaker Wei Zhi Chiang loves how the chee cheong fun "pairs harmoniously with the sauce and fragrant sesame seeds sprinkled over". Pro tip: Any orders after 11am warrants a 30-minute wait, so come early to avoid the queue!
Avg Price: $5 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Denise Ong

Previously located at Seletar Food Centre, this stall in Kebun Baru Food Centre is a reliable source of comforting hand-pulled noodles. Choose to have either Sheng Mian (thin stringy noodles) or Mian Fen Guo (thick, flat noodles) in dry or soup versions. Tastemaker Wei Zhi Chiang recommends getting the Sheng Mian in Soup ($3) and the Dry Mian Fen Guo ($3). She finds that the larger surface area of the Mian Fen Guo allows more sauce to be picked up, saying "the kways are tastier in the dry version because of the unbeatable black sauce and chili combination" and notes that "the chili wasn't too spicy but still gave a nice elevation of flavour". As for the soup version, Tastemaker Julius Lim describes it to be robust "due to the long hours of boiling with pork bones and ikan bilis". Each bowl comes with a generous portion minced pork, vegetables and prawns, making this a truly value-for-money option in Ang Mo Kio.
Avg Price: $5 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Julius Lim

Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee comes highly recommended by our Burpple Community, with Tastemaker Denise Ong stating it is "comparable if not better than the original in BKK". Tastemaker Irene Arieputri can't believe she embraced the 40-minute queue, but was thankful that "it didn't disappoint". The crowd favourite Dry Wanton Mee (from $3.50) comes topped with thick slices of dark char siew, sweet, firmly-crunchy lup cheong, a few crispy wantons and blanched greens. According to Tastemaker Xing Wei Chua, the noodles are "eggy and springy laced in savoury sauce" and also come in big portions. He also likes how the char siew is "tender and retains a bit of texture". The highlights for Tastemaker Irene "are definitely the free-flow lard and the typical Thai dried chilli" that you must add on for a downright satisfying bowl!
Avg Price: $5 per person
Photo by Burppler Tastemaker Xing Wei Chua

This humble stall tucked away in Teck Ghee Square Market and Food Centre doesn't get much attention, but it should. Previously located in Bendemeer Food Centre, the underrated stall dishes out plates of wok hei-ladened Char Kway Teow (from $3), loaded with fresh cockles and lup cheong — so good! Depending on who's cooking, expect the noodles to turn out a little differently. The father cooks a wetter version while the son does it a little more dry, resulting in more wok hei. Tastemaker Cassie Ong determines a good plate of char kway teow by the presence of wok hei and egg, and therefore prefers the son's version more, liking that "you can taste the egg in every bite". Be sure to have what Tastemaker Justin Teo loves most in both plates — the really crispy pork lard!
Avg Price: $5 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Cassie Ong